The present invention generally relates to centrifuges for rotating a liquid based specimen. More particularly, the invention relates to a centrifuge rotor for rotating a liquid based specimen in a specimen holder, especially rotors used in medical and laboratory industries.
Centrifuges used in a laboratory setting usually include a housing which houses a motor and a rotor system. The motor is used to rotate the rotor system. The rotor system usually includes a rotor connected to the motor. The rotor includes a specimen holder that holds one or more liquid based specimens to be separated. The specimen holder may be a test tube, a test tube holder or any other means that is suitable for holding a liquid based specimen. The motor rotates the rotor, which in turn rotates the specimen holder. It is usually desirable to rotate the specimen holder in a horizontal position. The advantage of horizontal rotation is that all of the centrifugal force is applied to or transmitted along the vertical axis of the sample which results in maximum separation. In a fixed angular rotor there is a wasted vertical component of the centrifugal force that is trying to move the stationary specimen holder into a horizontal position. As a result, the same degree of separation can be achieved in a horizontal rotor in less time. Therefore, the specimen holder must move from a vertical position into a horizontal position, as the specimen holder is rotated and centrifugal force is exerted on the specimen holder.
There are many centrifuges on the market which use rotors to rotate a specimen in the horizontal position. However, the current rotor designs can be complicated with many moving parts. Some of the current rotor designs do not allow the specimen holder to rotate to a full horizontal position. Many of the current rotor designs do not protect the specimen holder from air resistance. Air resistance negatively affects the specimen holder in two ways. The first way is that there is more drag incurred and therefore a larger motor is required to rotate the rotor system, as opposed to having less drag and therefore a smaller motor. The second way is that the friction of the air resistance heats up the specimen holder means and its contents, which can be undesirable to the user.
Accordinaly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotor which is simple in design which allows the movement of a specimen holder from a vertical position to a full horizontal position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rotor which reduces the effects of air resistance on a specimen holder.
A horizontal centrifuge rotor for use in existing and new centrifuges. The horizontal centrifuge rotor includes a rotor bottom with an outer rib encircling the rotor bottom. The outer rib extends upward from the rotor bottom to form an exterior wall about the rotor. There is at least one clearance slot for accepting a specimen holder with a collar. A support surface along each side of the clearance slot supports the specimen holder by the collar and allows rotation of the specimen holder about the collar from a vertical position to a horizontal position. There is a rotor hub in the center of the rotor bottom to allow mounting of the rotor to a motor drive shaft.